Sunday, June 14, 2015

Machine lockout is a key factor in your workplace safety program. It is important to teach our workers to isolate energy sources to protect them from unexpected movement of components or accidental start up. It is not sufficient to just shut off a machine, it is necessary to ensure that it is impossible for that machine to be started while workers are inside a hazardous area.

CSA Z460: Control of Hazardous Energy is the CSA standard that specifies the recommended components and procedures to create an effective lockout program at your workplace. It is important to have a comprehensive policy that considers all possible scenarios as well as detailed machine specific procedures for every piece of equipment at your facility.

Don’t be discouraged with the daunting task of creating procedures for all your machines, instead take advantage of the opportunity because we have found invaluable benefits of going through this exercise. Every time we help a client document their procedures, we find issues that have actually been hindering workers from performing lockout. Issues such as shut-off valves in the ceiling, broken disconnects, missing lock boxes and unknown energy sources. So when you create these procedures, ensure you fix these issues to make lockout effortless for your workers. The great thing about creating machine specific lockout procedures is that at the end of the process, not only do you have an accurate procedure for workers to follow, but you have confirmed that the machine can be properly locked out and your workers have all the necessary equipment to perform the lockout.

If you need help developing, revising or improving your lockout program, give us a call and realize the full potential of a world-class lockout program!